Sad story but steady hand and steady nerves are always needed !
They don't give many details but if a bear attacks it becomes 'dangerous game '. You can't afford to panic ,a miss in that situation is high risk. To panic and shoot yourself is very bad .I don't remember ever hearing of a shooter shooting himself .They all need some training and practice. The 44mag is appropriate for black bear .
I wonder how big they are in CA. In my neigherhood a 550 lb was taken and in nearby NJ a 700 lb was taken.

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